Aṇguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
I. Sambodha Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
IX. The Book of the Nines
Chapter I: The Awakening
Sutta 7
Sutavā-Paribbājaka Suttaṃ
Sutavan the Wanderer[1]
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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[1][than][upal][olds] Thus have I heard:
Once, when the Exalted One was staying near Rājagaha,
on Mount Vulture Peak,
Sutavan, the wanderer, came and paid him a visit.
After greeting the Exalted One
and exchanging the usual complimentary speeches,
he sat down at one side.
So seated, he addressed the Exalted One thus:
2. "Now on one occasion, lord,
when the Exalted One was staying here at Rājagaha,
on Giribbaja,[2]
I heard this from the mouth of the Exalted One,
from his own mouth I learnt it:
■
'The arahant monk, Sutavan,
who has destroyed the cankers,
lived the life,
done what was to be done,
laid down the burden,
won to the goal,
burst the bonds of becoming
and is freed by the fullness of gnosis,[3]
cannot transgress[4] the five standards:[5]
A monk, in whom the cankers are destroyed,
cannot deliberately take the life of any living thing:[6]
cannot, with intention to steal,[7]
take what is not given;
cannot indulge in carnal intercourse;
cannot intentionally tell a lie;
cannot enjoy pleasures from savings,[8] as of yore when a householder.'
■
Prithee, lord, have I heard the matter rightly from the Exalted One;
have [246] I grasped it rightly;
have I borne it in mind rightly;
have I understood it rightly?"[9]
"Certainly, Sutavan, you have heard the matter rightly;
grasped it rightly;
borne it in mind rightly
and understood it rightly!
■
Both in the past and now, Sutavan, I, verily, declare:
The arahant monk, who has destroyed the cankers,
lived the life,
done what was to be done,
laid down the burden,
won to the goal,
burst the bonds of becoming
and is freed by the fullness of gnosis,
cannot transgress nine standards:
A monk, in whom the cankers are destroyed,
cannot deliberately take the life of any living thing;
cannot, with intention to steal,
take what is not given;
cannot indulge in carnal intercourse;
cannot intentionally tell a lie;
cannot enjoy pleasures from savings,
as of yore when a householder;
a monk, in whom the cankers are destroyed,
cannot go astray through desire;[10]
cannot go astray through hate;
cannot go astray through delusion;
cannot go astray through fear.[11]
■
Both in the past and now, Sutavan, I verily declare:
An arahant monk, who has lived the life,
done what was to be done,
laid down the burden,
won to the goal,
burst the bonds of becoming
and is freed by the fullness of gnosis,
cannot transgress these nine standards."
[1] At M. iii, 69 this is the name of a pacceka Buddha; but I do not find mention of this wanderer, nor of Sajjha of the following sutta elaewhere. The Comy. is silent. 'Sutavā' means learned, pundit; Sajjha: silver. [But see S. iii, 169 for the former possibly, cf. K.S. iii, 144.]
[2] Buddh. Ind. 37; Chwang. ii, 152; Sis. 66; K.S. ii, 125.
[3] Above, p. 240. This is one of the oft-recurring formulae of Arahantship, see D. iii, 83; M. i, 4; S. i, 71; A. i, 144, and passim. For other formulae see above, pp. 32, 54, and 159.
[4] Ajjhācarituṇ, lit. to practise or oommit; Comy. atikkamituṇ
[5] Pañca ṭhānāni; see D. iii, 133, 235; M. i, 523.
[6] Comy. Even an ant.
[7] Theyya-sankhātaṇ cf. Dial. iii, 125: So that it constitutes a theft. Comy. here, theyya-cittena,, with thought to thieve; cf. also Vin. iii, 46, theyya-sankhātan-ti -citto, avaharaṇa-citto.
[8] Cf. D. i, 6 (Dial. i, 7), instancing: food, drink, clothing; see D.A. i, 81 f. Sannidhikārake v.l. -kaṇ, D. iii; M. i, loc. cit., and Comy. -kaṇ; S.e.: -ke. (D. iii, 133 has also a reading: kārahaṇ) Our Comy. glosses: sannidhiṇ katvā, ṭhapetvā, vatthukāmakilesakāme paribhuñjituṇ abhabbo.
[9] Cf. A. iii, 23 for similar phrases.
[10] Chanda.
[11] These are the four agati-gamanas; cf. D. iii, 182, 133, 228; A. i, 72; ii, 18; iii, 274; J. i, 176.
